Reality check

Maybe the fire in Francis Wheen's shed has had a bigger impact than we thought. This week's Private Eye carries a review by Remote Controller (ususally Wheen) of the new BBC Breakfast from Salford; whoever the author is, they seemed to have been taken in by the Italian graphic artist...

On TV... we know exactly where everyone is. Turnbull and Reid at the start of the week and Charlie Stayt and Louise Minchin at the end sit in front of a window showing industrial Salford, although the view is curiously interrupted by empty red sofas and bucket chairs in an outer ring beyond the studio. These are some of the “break-out areas”, where BBC North employees are encouraged to chill and have “creative interaction” during the day, although this inspirational activity isn’t much use to Breakfast because nobody seems to be in before its 9.l5am sign off.


Dear RC, it's not real, there is no outer ring, there are no sofas and chairs. Someone drew them.